Mongolian Beef

5 from 12 votes

This Mongolian beef recipe is made with tender slices of beef, stir-fried with a medley of vegetables like red peppers and onions, all tossed in a delicious sweet and savory sauce. This homemade version is better than takeout!

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Calories: 490kcal

Author: Joyce Lee

Ingredients

300 g beef steak (flank, sirloin, rib eye steak works well)
½ white onion (approx. ¾ cup)
½ red bell pepper (approx. ¾ cup)
4-5 slices ginger
3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
1-2 stalks green onions

Beef Marinade

1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons water
½ tablespoon grated garlic (approx. 2 cloves)
½ teaspoon grated ginger
½ tablespoon grated onion (approx. ¼ small onion)
½ tablespoon Shaoxing wine (optional)
3 tablespoons cornstarch (added after marinating)
1 tablespoon oil (added after marinating)

Mongolian Beef Sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons honey (or sugar)
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
¼ teaspoon Chinese five spice
½ tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
½ cup cold water

Instructions

Preparation

Start by slicing 4-5 slices ginger and thinly slice 3 cloves garlic, then set them aside for later use.
Cut 1-2 stalks green onions into two-inch pieces. For the white parts, slice them lengthwise to make it thinner and easier to cook.
Slice ½ white onion separate the pieces and set them aside.
Slice ½ red bell pepper thinly and set it aside.

Marinate the Beef

Grate ½ teaspoon grated ginger½ tablespoon grated onion, and ½ tablespoon grated garlic and place it in a bowl.
Thinly slice 300 g beef steak against the grain and place it in the bowl.
Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ tablespoon Shaoxing wine, ½ teaspoon sesame oil, and 2 tablespoons water into the bowl with the beef and mix everything together very well. Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes - the longer it marinates the better it will taste.
Once the beef has marinated, gently spread out the beef, mix in 3 tablespoons cornstarch, and mix well until everything is coated. Then, add 1 tablespoon oil to seal everything in and mix well. Set it aside for later

Prepare the Sauce

To make sure the cornstarch dissolves evenly in the sauce and to prevent clumps, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons soy sauce first.
Then mix in 3 tablespoons honey (or sugar), 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, ¼ teaspoon Chinese five spice, ½ tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine and ½ cup cold water and mix well and set it aside for later.

Prepare the Beef (Option 1 - Deep Frying)

Set the stove to medium heat. In a small pot, add in a minimum of at least 1 inch of oil and wait for it to get hot. To test if the oil is ready, dip a wooden chopstick or wooden spoon in, once it bubbles its ready.
Add a few slices of beef and deep fry it for 3-5 minutes (depending on how thinly you sliced it). Don't overcrowd the pot, you'll need to do this in batches.
Once the beef looks brown and crispy, remove it from the oil onto a plate and set it aside for later. Do this until all the beef has been deep fried.
Alternatively, you can also use a deep fryer.

Prepare the Beef (Option 2 - Pan Frying)

Set the stove to medium high heat. Once the large skillet or wok is hot, add in a layer of oil. You will need enough to coat the pan well so that the beef doesn't stick.
Make sure the oil is hot, then add in the beef slices and separate it in the skillet (make sure you use a large skillet for this). It's important you don't overcrowd the pan for this (so you may need to do this in 2 batches), because you don't want the beef to boil or steam, you want it to sear and brown.
When the beef is cooked and brown, remove it from the pan and plate it and set it aside for later.

Stir-Fry the Everything

Set your stove to medium-high heat and wait for your pan to get hot again.
Add a bit more oil to the pan and add in the ginger. Toast it for about two minutes to extract the flavor into the oil.
Add in the garlic slices, red peppers and onions. Stir fry for about one to two minutes.
Stir the sauce in the bowl (the cornstarch settles to the bottom). Push the onions and peppers aside in the pan and pour in the sauce mix and keep stirring until the sauce thickens and changes color from a milky brown to a dark brown.
Add the beef and the green onions into the pan. Stir fry and coat everything with the sauce and cook for about one minute.
Remove the ginger slices and discard (you can also eat around it as well). Plate your dish, garnish with sesame seeds, and enjoy your homemade Mongolian beef!

Notes

Slice the Beef Against the Grain: When prepping your flank steak, sirloin steak or any other type of beef you prefer, make sure to slice it against the grain. This helps to break up the muscle fibers and makes the beef more tender.
Marinate the Beef: Marinating the beef using the simple beef marinade not only infuses it with flavor but also aids in tenderizing it. I also add freshly grated garlic, ginger and onion for an additional layer of flavor that really comes out, especially if you choose to deep fry it. Let it sit for at least fifteen minutes for the flavors to seep in.
Use a Hot Pan: Always start with a hot pan when you're ready to sear the beef. A large skillet set to medium-high heat will give your beef that delicious, caramelized sear we all love.
Don't Overcrowd the Pan: When searing the beef, do it in batches if necessary. Overcrowding the pan can cause the beef to steam instead of sear, preventing that tasty crust from forming.
Don't Skip the Chinese Five Spice: Although this is not a traditional ingredient, I find it adds a lot of flavor to the sauce and takes it up a notch so definitely do not skip it.
Deep Fry vs Pan Fry: For this Mongolian beef recipe, you can either deep fry or stir fry the beef, both have their pros and cons. Deep frying will give it a fantastic flavor from the garlic/ginger/onion marinade being deep fried as well as a more satisfying texture when stir-fried in the sauce, which I highly recommend but the downside is deep frying is messy and uses a lot of oil. Stir-frying will not have as much flavor and will have a softer stir-fry texture, but it will use less oil so it is healthier and it's less messy.

Nutrition